Flaming car illusion



Dec. 5, 1961 J. D. AVERY ET AL 3,011,781

FLAMING CAR ILLUSION Filed Dec. 4, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR5 James D. Jive/r37 PQaeTJSuZZZ'Q Qn ATTORNEY 5 Dec. 5, 1961 .1. D. AVERY ET AL FLAMING CAR ILLUSION 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 4, 1958 INVENTORS ATTORNEYS (fa. me D.fi2/'a Peierc/T SuZZz'v mm k mm Dec. 5, 1961 J. D. AVERY ET AL FLAMING CAR ILLUSION 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 4, 1958 INVENTORS c/a mes 65 mg?" 5227161422 z Q/a ATTORNEY5 INVENTORS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

ATTORNEYS a 7 4 7 U fwh v WW@M% Dec. 5, 1961 J. D. AVERY ET AL FLAMING CAR ILLUSION Filed Dec. 4, 1958 r e v I) fi SJ 6 r may United States Patent 3,011,781 FLAMIN G CAR ILLUSION James D. Avery, 21 Spring Terrace, and Peter J. Sullivan, 109 Beacon St, both of Greenfield, Mass. Filed Dec. 4, 1958, Ser. No. 778,180 1 Claim. (Cl. 27215) The present invention relates to a flaming car illusion, and particularly to such a device used for entertaining purposes at open air events, or in suitable arenas.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a vehicle having means for producing an envelope of flames surrounding the vehicle to produce the illusion that the vehicle is burning fiercely.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a flaming car illusion apparatus a device for simulating an explosion which is safely confined.

A further object of the invention is to produce a flaming car illusion in which the operator is in complete control of the production of flames and can extinguish the flames when desired.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a flaming car illusion in which the fuel supply is carried in the car and is controlled by the operator to dispense the fuel as desired.

ther objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal cross-section taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal cross-section taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 4 is a front elevation of the invention.

FIGURE 5 is a wiring diagram which illustrates the valve control system of the invention.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of one of the flame nozzles.

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of the nozzle shown in FIG- URE 6.

FIGURE 8 is an end elevation of the nozzle shown in FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 9 is a top plan view of a modified form of the invention.

FIGURE 10 is a transverse cross-section taken along the line 1010 of FIGURE 9, looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 11 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation of one of the flame generators illustrated in FIGURES 9 and 10.

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-Section taken along the line 1212 of FIGURE 11, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference character A indicates generally an automobile incorporating the present invention.

The automobile A is of conventional design having a floor F, roof R, hood H, trunk T, and wheels W.

The automobile A has a drivers seat positioned therein rearwardly of the steering wheel 21 andadjacent a control panel indicated generally by GP in the wiring diagram of FIGURE 5. The automobile A has a conventional engine (not shown) which is fed with fuel in the conventional manner. lithin the automobile A a fuel tank 22 is provided to furnish fuel for the illusion detu'ce described below.

An air tank 23 is similarly supported in the automobile A and is connected by a pipe 24 to a compressor 25 driven by the conventional engine (not shown) of the automobile "ice A. A smoke fuel tank 26 is positioned under the hood H of the automobile A and is connected by pipes 27, 28 to the exhaust manifold (not shown) of the automobile engine (not shown) to create a smoke screen through the exhaust system (not shown) of the automobile A.

Also within the automobile A there is an auxilary fuel gas container 29 and an auxiliary air container 39.

An explosion chamber 31 is positioned in the trunk area of the automobile A and is provided with an access lid 32.

The motor vehicle A is provided with a plurality of transversely extending pipes 33 supported on the top, the hood, and forwardly of the hood, as best seen in FIG- URES l, 2 and 4. While the pipes 33 have been illustrated as supported on the top and hood, it should be understood that they may be suspended therebeneath as well as under the fenders. The pipes 33 are provided with fog nozzles 34 secured to opposite ends thereof in outwardly extending relation. The pipes 33 are each connected to a supply line 35.

An air manifold conduit 36 extends longitudinally of the automobile A and a fuel manifold conduit 37 extends longitudinally of the automobile A parallel to the conduit 36. A pipe 38 connects each of the supply lines 35 to the air manifold conduit 36 and each of the pipes 33 are provided with a one-way check valve 33 permitting flow of air from the conduit 36 to the supply lines 35.

An electrically controlled valve 42 is positioned in each of the pipes 4-4) to control the flow of fuel from a conduit 37 to the supply lines 35.

A pipe 43 connects the auxiliary fuel gas tank 29 to the fuel manifold conduit 37 and is provided with a one-way check valve 44 to permit fioW of fuel from tank 23 to the conduit 37 and is controlled by an electrically actuated valve 45.

A pipe 46 connects the fuel tank 22 to the pipe 43 and contains a one-way check valve 47 permitting flow of fuel from the tank 22 to the pipe 43 and is controlled by an electrically actuated valve 48.

A pressure regulator 49 is positioned in the pipe 43 and controls the pressure of the fuel flowing therethrough from the tank 29.

The primary air supply tank 23 has a pipe 50 extending therefrom with a check valve 51 positioned therein. A pipe 52 is connected to the auxiliary air supply tank 39 and has the flow of air therethrough controlled by an electrically actuated valve 53 and a check valve 54. The pipe 52 is connected to the fitting 56.

A pipe 57 extends from the fitting 56 and is provided with a pressure regulator 58 terminating in an electrically actuated valve 59. A pipe 69 connects the pipe 57 to the air manifold conduit 36, as best seen in FIGURE 3.

A pipe 61 is coupled to the fitting 56 and has the flow of air therethrough controlled by a pressure regulator 62 and an electrically actuated valve 63. The pipe 61 extends to the smoke fuel tank 26. A pipe 64 extends from the electrically operated valve 59 to the fuel tank 22 and is provided with a check valve 65. An air exhaust line 66 extends to the side of the automobile A from the electrically actuated valve 59 and is provided with a check valve 67 on its outer end.

Referring now to FIGURE 5, the electrical wiring diagram of the device is illustrated. A control panel CP is provided with an individual switch 68 for each of the electrical valves 42, 45, 48, 53, 59 and 63, and a master switch 69 controls the flow of electricity from a battery 7 t) to each of the switches 68.

A double-pole double-throw switch 71 controls the electrical flow from the battery 70 and a ground 72 to the sparking electrodes 73 of a bomb exploding squib S contained in the explosion chamber 31.

In the preferred form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 8, liquid fuel such as gasoline is contained in the fuel tank 22 and air under pressure is fed into the tank 2 2- to pressurize the fuel therein and force it through the pipe 46 when the valve 48 is open. The

fuel tank 22. receives air through the pipe 57 from the air tank 23 or the auxiliary air tank 30. Air initially is pumped into the fuel tank 22 through the line 66 and is provided through the pipe 57 from the air tank 23 or the auxiliary a-ir tank 30 when the automobile A is in action.

Fuel from the tank 22 flows through the fuel supply conduit 37 and air flowing from the air tank 23 through the pipes 57, 60 and the air manifold conduit 36 feeds with the fuel from the conduit 37 to the supply lines 35 to project a mixture of fuel and air from the fog nozzles 34 which when ignited surrounds the automobile A with flames. In some cases the air may be omitted and the fuel ejected as a mist from the fog nozzles 34 which when ignited also surrounds the automobile A with flames.

Fuel from the auxiliary tank 29 may, by control of the electrical valve 45, be fed into the system when the fuel from the tank 22 is exhausted, Similarly, air from the auxiliary air tank 3% may be fed into the system upon operation of the electrical valve 53 upon exhaustion of the air in the primary air tank 23.

The compressor 25, operated by the motor of the automobile A, supplies air to the primary air tank 23 to maintain the air supply therein. Air from the air supply tank 2 3 fed through the pipe 61 under control of the electrically operated valve 63 forces smoke fuel from the smoke fuel tank 26 through the pipes 27, 33 of the exhaust manifolds of the automobile A, to produce a smoke screen flowing from the exhaust of the automobile A.

A bomb (not shown) placed in the explosion chamber 31 prior to the beginning of the act with the automobile A is exploded by the operator at the desired moment by closing the double-pole dOllblfirLhI'OV switch 71, as described above.

While a specific form of fog nozzle 34 'is illustrated it should be understood that any conventional fog nozzle may be used.

In'FIGURES 9 through 12, a modified form of the invention is illustrated wherein an automobile B, identical to the automobile A, is provided with a system identical to that of the automobile A with the exception that the upper ends of the supply lines 35 are connected to transversely and vertically extending orificed pipes '74 which are supported in a forwardly curving shield 75 and are arranged to project the fuel and air mixture therefrom against an elongated permeable element 76 supported in the arcuate shield 7-5. Element 76- will restrict the spray and retain some of the fuel from orifice pipe 74 and the burning of the fuel held by the element, once ignited as hereinafter described, will more realistically give the impression that the motor vehicle is afire.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 9 through 12, the operation is identical to that in the preferred form of the invention with the exception that the transverse orifice pipes 74 provide flames at the sides as well as the top and front of the automobile B.

In the use of the automobiles A and B,'an illusion of a burning vehicle is created by operating the vehicle across the display field with fuel flowing from either the transverse pipes 74 or the fog nozzles 34, and the vehicle is run through a flaming barrier so that the fuel is suddenly ignited to give the appearance of the vehicle being burned up. The explosion in the explosion chamber 3 1 heightens the effect and creates the illusion that the gas tank of the vehicle has exploded.

Obviously, by means of the control panel OP, the operator of the automobiles. A and B can instantly extinguish the flames by closing all of the electrical valves simultaneously eliminating the air and fuel supply from the exterior thereof.

Having thus described the preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to'without departing from the scope of the'appended claim.

What is claimed is: i

In combination with a motor vehicle, fuel supply means mounted in said motor vehicle, air supply means mounted in said motor vehicle, a plurality of burners, each including an elongated orificed burner pipe, an arcuate forwardly curving shield supporting said burner pipe protecting the vehicle body, and a porous element supported on said shield in overlying relation with respect to said burner pipe, said burners being spaced about the outer surface of said motor vehicle in close relation thereto, and electrically controlled means supplying fuel and air from said fuel supply means and said air'supply means to said burners to produce flames close to the vehicle body to create an illusion of a burning vehicle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 922,709 Means May 25, 1909 2,276,802 trautman et al Mar. 17, 194-2 2,310,116 Ratcliff Feb. 2, 1943 2,331,388 Graham Oct. 12, 1943 

